Claim-free years; here's how

In the most ideal scenario, you have been driving for years without a claim. You will have accumulated a lot of claim-free years and will therefore receive a substantial no-claim discount on the car insurance premium. Did you have damage or did you cause damage to another car? Then you have to deal with different concepts and regulations surrounding your car insurance. We explain the most important terms and regulations.

First of all, the claim-free years. For every year that you don't claim with your insurer, you get one claim-free year. For each claim-free year, you get an extra discount on the insurance premium, up to a certain amount.

The rules regarding loss-free years are the same for all insurers. How much discount you get for the claim-free years can still vary from one insurer to another. For example, it may depend on your age or the number of miles you drive annually.

Because of this system, it is sometimes more lucrative not to claim small damages from the insurer and pay for the damage suffered yourself.

Every year you will receive a statement from the insurer with the number of claim-free years. With this you can show how many claim-free years you have. This comes in handy when you change insurers, for example. There is also a central database in which the number of claim-free years is recorded.

There are several situations in which you may have questions about claim-free years. We list some frequently asked questions - and answers - for you.

• What happens to my claim-free years if I lease a car?
  If you no longer have your own car and insurance, the accumulated non-life years expire after three to four years (depending on the insurer). You can have the claim-free years recorded in a register, so they can be taken over by another insurer. This only applies to insurers affiliated with the Dutch Association of Insurers.
• What happens if I buy my own car again after a lease?
  Then a statement from the lease company (or employer if it is a business car) is often sufficient to keep your claim-free years with your new insurer. You must have been the sole driver of the lease car.
• What happens to the accrued claim-free years if my partner dies?
  Your partner's claim-free years can then be transferred to your name. You must then live at the same address.
• What happens to accrued claim-free years if I divorce my partner?
  The claim-free years can then be divided. The division is often determined by the policyholder.